


Breaking Out

by LeggoMyAegyo



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: 2Hyeon, 2Yoo - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Developing Relationship, Dimension Travel, F/F, Gender Identity, HanMi, High Fantasy, Intrigue, Isekai, Light Angst, Magic, Mistaken Identity, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Politics, SuYeon, Tags Are Hard, Threesome - F/F/F, jidong, jiyoo, that's the story, what other tags are there, yoohyeon travels to a fantasy land
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:00:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24479866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeggoMyAegyo/pseuds/LeggoMyAegyo
Summary: “Am I in an isekai manga or something,” Yoohyeon asked herself.---Yoohyeon had always loved video games, so when she falls asleep playing a new fantasy mmo and wakes up in a strange fantasy land, it must be a dream, right?But in this strange land, not only does she look a lot like it's mysterious princess, but all of her band members seem to be here, but not as themselves.If Yoohyeon just had a chance to get settled and learn about this new world, maybe things would go smoothly, but unfortunately this world is on the brink of war, and her friends, whether it's really them in this world or not, need her help.Can Yoohyeon stand up for her friends, battle her enemies, and balance all of that with her chance to finally have her heart's desire? Time will tell.
Relationships: Han Dong | Handong/Kim Minji | JiU, Han Dong | Handong/Lee Yoobin | Dami, Kim Bora | SuA/Lee Siyeon, Kim Minji | JiU/Kim Yoohyeon, Kim Yoohyeon/Lee Gahyeon, Kim Yoohyeon/Lee Yoobin | Dami
Comments: 13
Kudos: 56





	1. Prince

**Author's Note:**

> Um, so this is my first posted fic, so I hope everyone enjoys it. It was a lot of fun to write. I have no idea how long it's going to be, but hopefully you'll join me on the journey. Comments are most welcome, criticisms too, but please keep it respectful to me, Dreamcatcher, and each other! <3

## Chapter 1: Prince

Yoohyeon was having a great time. She had a few days free from schedules and practices, and she was bingeing some new games at a PC cafe until late tonight - something she couldn’t normally do. Already by 10pm she was tired, too used to her daily schedule, but she pushed through it to play, starting up a new competitive shooter.

By 11pm, she was too tired to concentrate on the competitive games. She decided she would play a new fantasy mmo to finish off the evening - something mindless and fun. She loaded up a new free mmo, _Fantasy Kingdom REmix_ and made her character, crafting it to look like her, and even naming it Yoo. She smiled at her little character and got into playing.

It was, of course, addictive, and by 1am, she was still obsessively performing gather quests and leveling up her little Yoo. The hours blurred together and she didn’t even realize when she laid her head down on the desk and fell asleep.

When she awoke, it was with something scratchy in her hair. She tried to bat it out and that’s when she noticed the smell - like the country? It was when she heard a sheep bleating that she sat straight up and looked around confusedly.

She was sitting in a pile of hay in a stable. Animals were in the stalls all around her. She picked at the straw in her hair, then looked down at the truly wild costume she was wearing. Puffy sleeves and a corset? An embroidered dress? Tall leather boots?

“Hey,” someone yelled at her from the doorway. She looked over and saw a small, round man with a massive moustache. “What are you doing sleeping in my stables, eh? You trying to get a free room?” He sounded angry and Yoohyeon flinched.

“No, sir,” she held up her hands innocently, “I don’t know how I got here.”

He looked like he was going to get angry again, but as he came closer, something changed in his face.

“Oi, Princess,” he said and bowed his head, “Didn’t recognize you! What are you doing in the stables? You could’ve come inside! You must be freezing!” He reached down to help her up and Yoohyeon tentatively took his hand.

“Sorry, I didn’t know,” she said lamely. She was so confused. Where the heck was she?

“Well, come inside,” the man led her out of the stables, “We’ll get you something to eat and warm you up.”

As Yoohyeon stepped outside, her confusion turned to panic. She could see she was in a little, medieval-looking country hamlet, just like in a fantasy game. There was a big windmill on top of a hill, a weird fantasy-looking temple with a tree growing out from the side of it, and she could see people in the early morning walking around in various levels of fantasy costumes, some like what she was wearing.

“Am I in an isekai manga or something,” Yoohyeon asked herself. The man either didn’t hear her or ignored her as he took her inside. Yoohyeon met his wife, a nice-looking older lady with a friendly smile, and she ate a delicious breakfast of eggs and toast, with bacon and some sort of spice that she couldn’t quite identify.

“What were you doing sleeping in the stable, Your Highness?” The kind woman asked as Yoohyeon looked over a platter of fruits, trying to decide on one but not recognizing any of them.

“I don’t know how I came to be there,” Yoohyeon said before realizing what the woman had just called her. She looked at the couple who were whispering to one another.

“Maybe it was magic,” Yoohyeon offered, hoping this place was like the games she played and magic was commonplace. She didn’t want to admit to not being who they thought she was just yet, in case they took her for some sort of imposter then.

“Goddess forbid it,” the man swore. The couple both made a gesture with their hand that Yoohyeon assumed was some sort of curse protection. Maybe magic was bad? She would have to be careful.

“Well, I guess you’ll want to go back to the castle then, right?” The man asked her. Yoohyeon smiled as her mind raced. Was that the best idea?

“Um, sure,” she said uncertainly. “I’m not sure where I am, though. How do I get to the castle from here?”

“Ah, you’re in Gembrook on the edge of the Asheweald.”

The man paused as if that meant something, so Yoohyeon nodded slowly as if she understood.

“You’ll need to head to the station house to catch a ride North then, I reckon,” the woman added helpfully.

“Absolutely,” Yoohyeon smiled, “Where is the station house?”

The couple looked at each other, “Where it always is, your Highness, at the Goddess’s Temple.”

Yoohyeon recognized her mistake, but smoothed it over immediately, “Of course, but where is the temple?” She’d seen it, but they already thought her confused, so she hoped that would make it less obvious.

“Ah,” the woman seemed relieved, “It’s just across the broadroad, you can’t miss it.”

“Thank you so much for your hospitality,” Yoohyeon said sincerely.

“An honour, your Highness,” they both bowed to her.

Yoohyeon left the house feeling a little guilty, but until she knew what was going on and where she was, she felt like such a small lie would have to be okay.

As she walked through the wakening town, she drew stares from all around, but while it was uncomfortable, she tried to remind herself that she apparently looked like royalty, and that’s why they were probably staring. 

Yoohyeon could tell just from a short walk through town that this was definitely a fantasy world. Some things looked like medieval Europe, for sure, but not only was everyone speaking Korean, but she didn’t see much in the way of disease or poverty. Everyone seemed so happy and kind. Everyone had nice hair and teeth. If someone was dirty, it was in a cute or endearing way.

It wasn’t like she didn’t see hard work, she saw lots, but people were happy to do it. A child whined to his mother about doing chores, but it wasn’t desperation she saw in the smiles she passed by, it was hope.

When she reached the temple, she marveled at its construction. Even in this tiny hamlet, this temple was a massive construction, with a style that seemed to evoke both an old Roman temple, but also a Buddhist one. It was an odd combination, but it seemed to work. She was thankful as she approached the entrance that there were other people going inside, too, because she got to see a little of the ritual that accompanied entering the space.

People stopped at the door and picked up a little ash from a dish there and sprinkled it in front of them before walking across the threshold. As they did, they made that same hand gesture that others did. Yoohyeon nervously prepared to do the same.

She thought she’d got through it fine, too, except for a slight chuckle that came from behind her. She went to turn and see who had laughed, but a man in elaborate robes came up and spoke to her just then.

“Your Highness,” he said, “What an unexpected surprise! I had not heard that you had arrived here. How may I serve you?”

“I need to get back to the castle,” Yoohyeon said tentatively.

“Of course,” the man smiled. “Let’s get you to the station house.”

The man led Yoohyeon to one side of the temple where there was a little vestibule. Here, she could see the tree that grew out of the side of the temple clearly. The vestibule seemed to act as a sort of greenhouse for the tree. 

In front of the tree was a line of people waiting. As the man led Yoohyeon up, they bypassed the line and moved up to the tree. Suddenly, there was a short commotion.

“Is it proper to move someone to the front, Sir,” someone asked. Despite their admonition, the voice still sounded gentle, if firm. 

“For the Princess, Your Highness,” the man said. Yoohyeon realized that it must mean that this other person was actually royalty and she turned to look.

There, standing in a beautifully cut tunic and trousers, with stylish short hair, was Dami. Yoohyeon was in shock for a moment. She looked so cool and dashing in that outfit. Yoohyeon was struck by her beauty.

Dami walked out of the line and came over to Yoohyeon.

“But this isn’t,” she began.

Yoohyeon cut her off with a cry. “Yubin!” She yelled and stepped towards her friend. Dami looked shocked and stepped back. Yoohyeon was caught in a moment by the reaction. What did this mean?

“I’ll escort her,” Dami said to the man who had led Yoohyeon in, “Thank you.”

Dami took Yoohyeon’s hand and led her towards the tree. “Say nothing,” she hissed under her breath.

They approached the tree and Yoohyeon gazed in wonder as a light seemed to split the tree open, creating a mirror-like fissure. Dami led Yoohyeon through the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it, even though this first bit was a little heavy on the set up. Stay tuned for more!


	2. Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoohyeon is in a fantasy land - where has she landed and how come Dami is here?

## Chapter 2: Princess

Yoohyeon’s nose filled with an overwhelming smell of ozone and all she could see was light scintillating in a kaleidoscope of colour. Suddenly, the world reappeared and she was standing in an outdoor courtyard. It was empty of people, but a large tree similar to the one in the temple stood behind her.

She coughed the ozone from her nostrils and turned to see Dami glowering at her. It was definitely a threatening look, one that she rarely elicited from Dami, but there was still a softness to her face.

“Where did you hear that name,” Dami asked. Again, her voice was firm, but warm.

“Yubin,” Yoohyeon said, not quite understanding, “Don’t you recognize me?”

“I know that you are not the Princess of Heartwood, so do not try to deceive me,” Dami warned, “Where did you hear the name Yubin.”

Yoohyeon was conflicted. In her heart, she felt like this was her sweet Yubin. But, logic seemed to dictate otherwise. She carried herself like Yubin, talked like her, smiled like her, but somehow, this wasn’t her Yubin, just a Yubin.

“That’s your name, isn’t it,” Yoohyeon ventured.

“No,” Dami shook her head, “My name is Dami, Prince of Varin.”

Was Dami a boy here, Yoohyeon wondered? Is that why the name Yubin was so upsetting? She looked at Dami again and saw some fear in her eyes. She felt bad for her misstep.

“Sorry, your Highness,” she said, “I honestly don’t know how I came to be in that town and people kept calling me a princess, so I thought I would play along just until I can find my way away. I never meant to make you feel uncomfortable.”

Dami’s eyes softened. “It’s okay, I was just surprised to hear that name. Yubin was my sister, you see. She passed away many years ago.”

“I’m so sorry,” Yoohyeon sympathized.

“What’s your name,” Dami asked.

“I’m Yoohyeon, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Dami inspected her for a moment. “It’s true that you look similar enough to the Princess of Heartwood, though anyone who had spent time in her presence would be able to tell you apart. Your ashen hair, at least, should have been a give away.”

Yoohyeon looked down at her hair and realized that her hair dye must have seemed odd. Still, Dami’s hair looked dyed, too, a sort of pinkish red. Maybe that just wasn’t something the Princess would ever do?

“So, where did you hear the name Yubin, anyhow,” Dami persisted.

Yoohyeon felt a little trapped. What could she say that would satisfy Dami in this case? Mentioning magic or other worlds seemed like a mistake. It was obvious that Dami could see her working through her indecision, but finally she figured a version of the truth was the best.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know how to explain where I heard that name to you. Could you give me a little time to try to figure that out?”

“Of course,” Dami said warmly. “Thank you for being honest. Come, I think you should meet the Princess while you are here at the Arbor.”

“The Arbor,” Yoohyeon repeated. Wasn’t that a kind of tree garden? But this courtyard only had a single tree.

Dami led the way out of the courtyard, through a few outdoor arcades, with trellises and flowers covering the side that faced the outdoors. When finally they came to a terrace, Yoohyeon was able to see why this place was called the Arbor.

The terrace overlooked a massive, towering castle-like structure, with everywhere overgrown with trees. It looked to be in a number of different levels, with terraces, ruins, and gardens all over the place. It truly looked like some ancient ruin from a fantasy game. She looked up and saw a spire reaching away into the sky above her and tree branches and roots reaching through and out of doors, windows, arches, and halls.

“Wow,” she breathed, awed by the beauty and scale of this place.

Dami chuckled, “If you’re impressed by this, you should come see my kingdom sometime.”

“Okay,” Yoohyeon said, smiling at Dami, “I’d love to.”

At that, Dami blushed and looked away. Yoohyeon was once again struck by her cuteness and warmness.

After a few more halls, they came to a sort of plaza in front of a large structure. The doors were open and Yoohyeon could see an atrium inside with an open roof garden and there was a woman in the atrium sitting on a stone bench.

They started walking towards the woman, and Yoohyeon could see that she was wearing a flowing, light pink dress and wearing a simple tiara on her head. Her hair was a beautiful dark blonde and was held back in a Dutch braid. She was strumming at a stringed instrument - something that looked half way between banjo and guitar.

Yoohyeon’s breath caught as she approached the woman. She didn’t think she’d ever seen anyone so beautiful in her life. Her features were sharp, but graceful. Even without being able to see her entire face yet, the way the woman carried herself and the sound of her humming was so enticing.

As they entered the atrium, Dami spoke, “Princess, I brought a visitor.”

The woman looked up, and Yoohyeon was even more struck. It was JiU. Just like with Dami, here was one of her closest, dearest friends, and somehow that made her even more attractive. Yoohyeon could feel her face grow warm and knew she was blushing. JiU laughed and it was her laugh, like it was actually JiU! Yoohyeon didn’t know what to say.

“What a beautiful creature you’ve brought me, my dear,” she practically purred. Her voice was just as light and playful as Yoohyeon’s JiU.

“This is Yoohyeon, your Highness,” Dami introduced, “Your subjects confused her for you in Gembrook and she was quite lost.”

“Of course, Gallant Dami came to a fair maiden’s rescue,” JiU laughed. Dami blushed.

JiU stood up and walked over to Yoohyeon.

“Hmm, I see the resemblance,” she said. “I don’t begrudge my subjects the confusion.”

“Minji,” Yoohyeon said quietly. This was so difficult. Her friends so near, but seemingly so far.

“Oh dear,” JiU said, “You should use my regnal name, JiU.” Her tone was falsely serious.

Yoohyeon collapsed on the ground, earning exclamations from Dami and JiU, the former rushing to her side to lend an arm.

“I’m sorry,” Yoohyeon said weakly, “This is all so overwhelming.”

“What is, dear,” JiU asked sweetly.

Yoohyeon could hear the genuine concern in her voice. She decided that she would have to put her trust in someone, and even though she didn’t know this Dami or JiU that well, they seemed to have a lot in common with their equivalents from Yoohyeon’s world, and so she felt like they must still be good and caring people.

“The truth is,” she began, “I’m not from your world. I come from a very different place, but where I come from I know people who look like you, talk like you, have the same names as you, and in that place, they are my friends.”

“It’s okay,” JiU said softly, “I believe you. You’re not the first person to have a story like that, though I don’t remember anyone in living memory. How can we help you?”

JiU sounded so sincere and so sweet, it moved Yoohyeon to tears. She shook her head, having no idea what help she could even ask for.

“Well,” JiU said, “Until we figure out what you need, will you stay by my side? I’ll be sure to take care of you.”

Yoohyeon nodded somewhat tearily and looked up at JiU’s kind eyes. She saw such warmth in them.

“So, this is how you knew the name Yubin,” Dami said, helping Yoohyeon up and onto the stone bench. “You knew a Yubin in your world.”

“I did,” Yoohyeon said, “She is a close friend. She also goes by Dami for her work, so you can tell now why I was confused.”

“What exactly did you tell her, Dami,” JiU asked.

“I told her Yubin is my sister’s name and I am Prince Dami,” Dami sounded a little harsh with JiU, but the princess didn’t seem to mind. She just sat down next to Yoohyeon.

“Now, Yoohyeon, are there any questions we can help answer for you?”

“There are so many,” Yoohyeon said, laughing lightly, “I don’t know where to begin! I guess I’d like to know where I am for starters.”

“Hmm,” JiU clucked her tongue, “A big question if you’re from a different world. To be brief, I suppose I would say that you are currently at the Arbor, the palace of the royal family of Heartwood. We are in the nation of Heartwood. To the south, there is the Ashenweald, a great burned out forest, and to the East there is Prince Dami’s land, Ganades, with its capital Varin on the coast before the sea. North of us is the Crumbling Lands, an area of rough scrublands with many small city-states. To the West, we have the Mistlands, and beyond them is the Empire of Ubeg Teka. I know little of this makes sense to you, but maybe that helps you feel more grounded?”

It did, Yoohyeon found. JiU was right, the names made little sense to her, and in fact she forgot most of them immediately, but at least it made it feel less like she was floating in space.

Yoohyeon nodded at JiU and gave her a soft smile. JiU returned the smile.

“So,” JiU said, “Tell us more about you. Your world.”

“Well,” Yoohyeon thought about it, deciding where to begin, “I guess I can see why it's hard to describe an entire place and people in a short time. I can tell you that I was born in a place called Incheon, in a country called Korea. I live in the capital, Seoul, where I am a singer and entertainer. In my world, my friends Minji and Yubin are also entertainers.”

“Interesting,” JiU said, “And is your Korea a kingdom, with a royal family?”

“Not anymore,” Yoohyeon said, “We had one a hundred years ago, but now we are a republic. We elect our leaders.”

“Fascinating,” JiU said, “Are you a member of the peerage, then?”

“Um,” Yoohyeon wasn’t entirely sure what she meant, but she figured she was talking about aristocrats and whatnot, “No. We don’t have that kind of thing.”

JiU nodded and looked thoughtful.

“How about you,” Yoohyeon asked, “Is it difficult being a princess?”

“Yes,” JiU admitted, “Moreso because I have all the duties of a Queen, without the powers. You see, when my parents passed away, their advisor and minister, Hossbech, became regent until I was of an age to take the throne. That happened when I turned 18, which was eight years ago. At that time, however, he declared that I wasn’t ready and needed more training, so I have been running the country for eight years, but whenever I make a decision, Hossbech and his council can overturn it. It’s frustrating.”

“Wow, I can only imagine,” Yoohyeon said, “Are they causing a lot of problems in the country?”

“Somewhat, though they are actually quite good at maintaining internal affairs” JiU admitted, “But my concern is the heightening tensions with our neighbours.”

“Like Prince Dami’s lands,” Yoohyeon ventured.

“Yes,” JiU admitted, “Hossbech is sure that Ganades is unstable and he’s hoping that by souring relations now, he can freely declare war later and not suffer consequences from those in the Crumbling Lands with treaties with the Varin Throne.”

“My father is sickly,” Dami added, “If he were to pass into the sky, the throne would fall to me. As I would be a young ruler, many would request an advisory council. Traditionally, this has been assembled of members of the peerage, but many of them have allied with Hossbech.”

“I could likely fix some of this,” JiU said, “If I could get out and speak with some of my most trusted peers and castellans, but Hossbech won’t let me leave the palace.”

“I’m sorry,” Yoohyeon said. She really was, too! It was an unfair situation. She was happy to hear that Hossbech and his goons weren’t harming the people, but if they were planning for a war, that was horrible.

“Why are they trying to start a war,” Yoohyeon wondered aloud.

“They’re afraid of Ubeg Teka,” Dami said.

“As they should be,” JiU added, “The Ubeg is a powerful ruler. But an alliance would work just as well, if Hossbech and his supporters would allow greater integration with Ganades.”

“Such as with a political marriage,” Dami said a little bitterly.

“I won’t marry you, Dami,” JiU said firmly but not unkindly. “Now, I’m going to find one of my attendants to help settle Yoohyeon in the palace. Please wait here both of you.”

JiU got up and headed down one of the halls. As soon as she went around a corner, Yoohyeon looked at Dami. She shouldn’t pry, but what had just happened?

“Should I not ask,” she said by way of softening her questions.

“It’s fine,” Dami said, though with a bit of a grimace, “It’s no secret that we are close and many suspected a political marriage since we were children. But, while we’re close, the Princess has made it clear that a marriage of convenience, expedience, or alliance is not what she wants. She wants a marriage of love. I disagree. I think we would make a good match anyhow.”

“Do you love her,” Yoohyeon asked what she thought was the obvious question.

“I,” Dami began and seemed to struggle to find the right words, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know,” Yoohyeon said, looking surprised.

“We have been together since we were children,” Dami said, “Of course I love her. But to be married to her? I’m not so sure. But, that doesn’t matter. Both of our Kingdoms are in trouble. We need an alliance and this would fix many problems.”

“What would it fix,” Yoohyeon asked.

“Well, for one, it would give me and JiU a lot more political capital to use against Hossbech, but it would also secure a succession. If something happened to me, JiU could rule both realms.”

Something in Dami’s voice seemed to strain. Yoohyeon had known Dami, well _a_ Dami, for a long time. She could tell there was something more.

“Dami,” Yoohyeon said, “I know you’re not the person I knew back home, but I can tell something is bothering you. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I’ll listen if you need to talk.”

“I don’t know why, but I feel I can trust you,” Dami admitted. “Just please, do not tell this to anyone. Only JiU and a handful of trusted friends and allies know the truth.”

Yoohyeon nodded, though in her gut, she knew exactly what was coming.

“I’m not Dami,” Dami said, “I’m Yubin. My brother Dami died years ago from illness and I took his place. We pretended like I got sick and died and my brother got better.”

“That’s why the name Yubin was such an issue,” Yoohyeon said sagely.

“It was upsetting,” Dami said, “I don’t like lying, but my kingdom has no succession for the women in our family, unlike Heartwood. If my brother is dead, the next in line is my Uncle. He’s currently regent while my father is sick, and I can tell you that he’s worse than Hossbech. At least Hossbech cares about his people.”

“So, pretty Yubin pretends to be Gallant Dami,” JiU said as she walked back into the room. Dami looked a little annoyed but smiled anyhow.

“Well, your Highness,” Dami said, “I should retire to Varin. I wish I could stay longer. Yoohyeon, if ever you find yourself in Varin, please come visit me at the Prince’s Palace. I’d love to entertain you. Take care, both of you.”

Yoohyeon and JiU both said their goodbyes as Dami waved and left the atrium.

“Well,” JiU smiled deviously, “Now that our goodly Dami is gone, I shall tell you my plan.”

“Plan,” Yoohyeon asked, getting whiplash from the segue.

“To make you a Princess, of course,” JiU said brightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter. I haven't done this much writing in a long time, so it's nice to get back into it and practice with my fave Dreamcatcher girls! As always, respectful comments are appreciated. Thank you!


	3. Warrior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wherein Yoohyeon becomes a princess and learns a little more about what that means.

Yoohyeon squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, hoping that time would roll backwards. JiU had presented her with a simple enough plan, but the details were starting to get away from her. They looked enough alike that JiU wanted Yoohyeon to play her double at court for the day. Because Hossbech kept a watch on her, JiU was unable to go and converse with her allies, instead relying on messengers and go-betweens, but here she saw an opportunity to get some reluctant lords on her side by visiting in person.

They covered Yoohyeon’s hair in a jeweled veil, dressed her in JiU’s clothes—they were close to the same size—and JiU had guaranteed that her chamberlain, a man named Hofner, and her personal guard would keep Yoohyeon safe. She had sat on a beautifully carved wooden bench on a dais in a large atrium, surrounded by incense and pillows, and was only supposed to wait there for the day.

The first few hours of the ruse had indeed gone very well. Hofner had spoken on her behalf to a few courtiers here and there, and mostly it was quiet in court, which was apparently normal for mornings. It would pick up in the afternoon, but that was also supposed to be when JiU’s Captain of the Knights of the Queenguard was supposed to show up. Apparently, this person was going to be able to handle any trouble.

The biggest problem JiU had anticipated would be if Hossbech returned from a trip to the Crumbling Lands early, but this morning they had heard the opposite news. Hossbech’s party had been held up at the Forest Ford along the Tumblewynd River to the north, and would be late in returning. With that out of the way, Yoohyeon could rest a little easier.

Until now, that is. A group of dignitaries from the Crumbling Lands had come into the court moments ago, and after talking quietly to Hofner, they were persistently demanding that whatever matter they were here to discuss needed to be discussed with the Princess herself. They were insistent enough that they eventually moved Hofner out of their way by force and approached the dais. Yoohyeon tried to remain calm. To think like JiU would.

“Your Magnificence,” one of the dignitaries said as he bowed, “We hail from Inrenay Le in the Crumbling Lands, and we have brought gifts of wine and incense.”

These his fellows laid upon the steps of the dais. It was pretty obvious that they wanted to be seen as respectful, bringing gifts, but they also needed something quickly.

“We wish to discuss your recent alliance with our neighbours in Sironter,” he continued.

Now Yoohyeon understood. Sironter must be where Hossbech was travelling and they were the enemies or rivals of Inrenay Le. Yoohyeon guessed that they hurried here before Hossbech so that they could gain a treaty too, or somehow get her to agree to something without the regent’s report on matters. Whatever the reason, though, Yoohyeon was fairly certain JiU would be annoyed with their demeanor and she meant to tell them so.

“You want to discuss with me,” she clarified. The man nodded and she continued, “But yet you show me so little respect, what could you possibly wish to discuss with me?”

The man looked baffled, but tried to recover, “We have nothing but respect for—” Yoohyeon did not let him finish.

“So, you come into my court, bully my chamberlain, then present me with gifts while using overblown titles,” she said angrily, thinking about how the man had called her “Magnificence,” like that was a normal thing to do. “This is what you call respect?”

The man was wise enough to look ashamed as he took a step back.

“No, Ambassador,” she continued, her anger flagging a little, “That is nothing but disrespect. If you wish to discuss with me, you may make an appointment with my chamberlain and we can meet later,” the man began to nod but she didn’t stop, “After you’ve had a chance to reflect on your comportment. Is that clear?” Yoohyeon imagined JiU giving a speech something like this to her members when they had misbehaved. It happened rarely, but when she was stern, she definitely used bigger words.

The men looked chagrined as they went to Hofner and apologized, discussing a possible appointment with him, which he cleverly set for when JiU would be back. She wasn’t sure whether she’d have to do that meeting herself or not, but at least they would get the benefit of JiU’s council either way.

“I guess you didn’t need protection after all,” a voice said uncomfortably close to her ear. Yoohyeon nearly leapt out of her skin and it was only with concentrated effort that she didn’t yelp. She did, however, look around confusedly. The voice sounded familiar, but no one was leaning close to her.

She wasn’t sure who had spoken, behind her bench there were two guards covered head to foot in gleaming armour. One of them had a bright red sash, but otherwise they looked very much the same and they stood still.

“Did one of you say something,” she asked the guards. They looked at each other then shaked their heads.

“It was me,” the voice said again from behind her. She turned the other way to see a beautiful woman standing there, dressed in very different attire than anyone else.

She gasped! It was Handong! Even wearing dark eye makeup, with her hair slicked back, Yoohyeon recognized her immediately. She bit back a cry when she saw her and she instead nodded a little, trying to decide what to say. Handong had gotten around Hofner and was standing close to the bench. Did she recognize that Yoohyeon wasn’t JiU or was she an ally of JiU’s? Yoohyeon didn’t really know what to do.

“It’s okay, your Highness,” she said as she smiled, “Your secrets are safe with me.” She winked in a very Handong way and it put Yoohyeon at ease. But, that being as it may, Handong was certainly not from Heartwood.

Her clothing was different, with her wearing leather pants and a long, tunic-like shirt. It was belted with a large metal girdle and many strips of cloth or strings of beads hung from the girdle. She was wearing dramatic, dark eye makeup and had her hair slicked back. Her hair was brown on the top, but the tips were dyed vibrant red. She wore a long knife tucked into her belt and was holding a folding paper fan. Yoohyeon wasn’t sure what to make of her.

“Thank you,” she said simply, trying to buy some time.

Handong chuckled and smiled. “Of course, Princess. Now, please excuse me. I only came to make myself known and to check on you. I have much else to do.”

She bowed ninety degrees and then turned sharply on her heel, the beads on her belt clinking together like bells.

“Well,” another voice spoke from behind her, “You’ve certainly had an exciting day already.”

Yoohyeon whipped around so that the speaker couldn’t vanish like Handong had. This time, she saw another of her friends. SuA stood there in the same armour as the guards on the dais, but hers had a black sash decorated with gold thread. She wasn’t wearing her helmet, so Yoohyeon could see her face. It was definitely SuA, although she was barefaced and her brown hair had the slightest purple tint to it. She was also wearing a scarf tied around her head that had the symbol of a tree on it.

Before Yoohyeon could say anything to her, SuA moved closer and leaned down to speak to her.

“Yoohyeon, right,” she asked. Yoohyeon nodded. “I’m SuA,” she continued, “I’m the Captain of the Queenguard. JiU’s personal guard.”

Yoohyeon spoke quietly so as not to arouse suspicion around court, “Nice to meet you, SuA. How much did JiU tell you?”

“Everything,” SuA said, but Yoohyeon was surprised that she could tell that SuA was lying. She supposed that this SuA had something in common with her Kim Bora, and they had the same tells when they were lying.

“I see that you met our Ubeg Teka ambassador,” SuA continued, “You have to be careful with her, she’s a slippery one. We suspect that she’s actually an assassin, but no one has been able to get anything solid on her.”

“Is she Handong,” Yoohyeon asked. She looked over to the corner of the court where Handong was chatting with a group of courtiers.

“How did you—” SuA caught herself, realizing that maybe she would give away that she had been lying about knowing ‘everything.’

“JiU didn’t think she would be here today, but it seems like you handled her well,” SuA said instead.

“She knows who I am,” Yoohyeon said, “I could tell that she recognized me. Or rather recognized I wasn’t JiU.”

SuA was silent and Yoohyeon could detect that she was thinking about something. Whatever it was, she didn’t get a chance to explain.

Just then, a large man came through the court door. He was dressed in beautiful blue velvet and was richly ornamented with rings and necklaces. Despite the fact that his clothing was so nice, and he was so large—both tall and wide—Yoohyeon could see that he was also powerful and confident, just by how he walked. SuA hissed a curse behind her.

“Goddess Preserve Us,” she whispered, “That’s Hossbech. He must have ridden ahead.”

Yoohyeon froze in fear. He hadn’t noticed her yet as he was turned to talk with a courtier he was walking past, but it was only a matter of time. Her eyes darted to Hofner, who started to make his way to Hossbech as quickly as he could, while keeping decorum. She looked over to see what Handong was doing, but she was gone completely. Curiously, the group of courtiers who had been chatting with her were looking around confusedly.

“I hope Hofner can stop him,” SuA said without much confidence. She actually looked like she was trying to find an escape route.

Whatever Hofner was going to do, he never got a chance. Just as Hofner reached Hossbech, a commotion came from outside the doors to the court. Everyone looked over in time to see a man in a heavy robe throwing a guard to the ground. With the court doors open, Yoohyeon could see outside where two other men and a woman stood over the court guards laying on the ground.

All four of the intruders were wearing masks that covered their lower face and were decorated with red triangles as though they were teeth. They all held long knives in each hand and as the man in front came through the doors fully, he turned the knife on one of the courtiers.

Yoohyeon gasped as she saw the knife go into the courtier’s gut. Strangely, there was no wound, not even blood, when the knife was drawn back. Regardless, the courtier fell to the ground with a thump. Another courtier shrieked and the whole court fell into chaos.

“Protect the princess,” SuA yelled at the two guards near the bench as she ran through the court to face the intruders.

Hossbech ran to a table near the wall and grabbed a ceremonial staff which he held up to protect himself. Hofner ran behind Hossbech and grabbed a candle holder just to have something to hold in front of himself.

By the time SuA got to the first intruder, the other three had come into the court and were attacking people left and right. Yoohyeon could see what they were doing. They were trying to make their way through the crowds to get to the dais.

“They’re here to kill me,” she squeaked. She got up and moved behind the bench, hiding, while the two guards moved up. From here, Yoohyeon could see a few other guards, those near the doors, fight the intruders.

Despite being in full armour and wielding spears, the guards couldn’t move fast enough to hit the intruders, and the armour did nothing to stop the strange, bloodless knives. Yoohyeon thought it was all useless until she finally saw SuA join in the fight.

It was like something out of a Wuxia movie, SuA moved faster than any normal human had the right to move. Her spear thrust, swung, and spun with amazing speed. The seemingly unstoppable intruder in front of her was pressed on a serious defensive.

There must have been some sort of magic at play, because SuA’s spear seemed to trail a streak of red. After a few moments of these attacks, Yoohyeon realized the pattern of the strikes had actually drawn a sort of symbol in the air, the red streaks making it visible. Whatever it was, once it was complete, SuA stabbed straight forward.

Yoohyeon’s ears popped like there was a sudden pressure change and SuA went from thrusting forward with her spear, to standing behind a crumpled corpse. Nothing in between. Yoohyeon was in absolute shock.

It took Yoohyeon’s mind a minute to process what she had just seen, and SuA had already downed another intruder and had moved onto her next opponent and was quickly pressing her advantage. Despite that, however, the last attacker, the woman, was closing on the dais. The two guards went to fight her.

These guards were obviously different from the ones who had protected the doors. They moved in concert and worked together to try to block the assassin. But, still, one of the guards got an unlucky slash of the strange knife across the wrist and the guard’s arm went limp, causing her to drop her weapon.

 _They might win_ , Yoohyeon realized, _But I’ll be dead_. She started to crawl away, hoping she might be able to get to the doors behind the dais that led into the palace proper. She had just made it to the door and sighed in relief, when she looked back and realized the assassin had taken down the last guard. SuA was just finishing off the other intruder, but it wouldn’t be fast enough.

Yoohyeon ran into the palace corridors, hoping to lose her pursuer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I made some different editing decisions here that I hope worked out nicely. I know that how magic works in this world is still mostly a mystery, but that info will come in the following chapters, so please look forward to it!


	4. Assassin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wherein Yoohyeon attempts an escape.

Yoohyeon was completely lost. She had taken as many random turns as she could, while running from her assassin. She could still hear the assassin moving through the palace, she could occasionally hear shouts from outside, but couldn’t tell how to get to anyone who could help.

She was completely exhausted. She had ripped off her dress and veil and discarded them—sorry, JiU—so that she could run faster. Even in just half a slip and with bare feet, she still couldn’t really outrun the attacker. So, she had started to take as many turns as she could, to get the assassin all turned around, hopefully buying her time while the guards could find her. Actually, she needed SuA to find her. The other guards wouldn’t be much help, as she’d seen so many fall to the assassins.

She was completely confused. Why had there been assassins at all? If JiU had considered that a threat, she would have told Yoohyeon, right? So where had these people come from? How were four people with knives so strong as to fight off a dozen people in armour with spears? How the heck could SuA fight like that?

It was all too much. Yoohyeon felt like sitting down and just crying, or napping, or something… But she was still in danger and thankfully her adrenaline was keeping her going. She was jogging as much as she could, now, but she was so tired that she knew she was slowing down.

Even so, she could hear the assassin elsewhere in the maze of corridors of the palace, and she knew she would have to hide. She had passed many rooms already, but they were either empty of places to hide or their doors were locked. She needed something soon though or she would pass out from exhaustion and be easy pickings.

Yoohyeon stopped at every corner and carefully peeked around it before jogging to the next corner. She didn’t want to run straight into her assassin. This time, when she checked around the corner though, she almost burst into tears.

Around the corner was a large atrium, open to the sky in the middle. It was late afternoon already and the sky cast dark shadows into the corners. In addition to that, there were long draping curtains around the edges of the room. It seemed like the perfect place to hide, just so long as no one was hiding there already, waiting to get the drop on her.

She felt a sudden stab of fear and glanced behind her. She could see the knife of the assassin, distinctive for its weird, white matte finish, peeking around the corner. She held her breath to stop a gasp and plunged into the dark room. She looked about desperately to find the best hiding spot, and finally decided on something in one corner, where she would be in deep shadow but also behind a drape and a little table.

She moved the table quietly, slipped behind and moved it back, so it seemed like nothing was out of place. Then she strained her ears to listen for her attacker. The barest scrape of fabric against the ground let her know that she wasn’t alone and she held her breath.

The woman from the court, the assassin with her strange phantom knife, looked around the room and then headed straight for the corner Yoohyeon was hiding in. Why? What had she done wrong?

Yoohyeon didn’t know what to do, and was just deciding if she should try running or if she should stay still, when she saw a pale flash come from the shadows behind the assassin. The intruder grabbed at her neck and seemed to thrash around in place for a few seconds before collapsing to the ground.

Yoohyeon wondered if that was the end of her terror. She didn’t understand what had happened, so while she was relieved that the intruder wouldn’t be following her anymore, she couldn't relax.

That’s when someone came out of the shadows across the atrium. It was Handong, looking exactly as she had a court, but something about the way she moved was sinister. She looked down at the intruder on the floor and after a moment looked up directly where Yoohyeon was. Handong’s expression softened.

“You can come out, Princess,” she said. “It’s safe now.”

Yoohyeon only relaxed a little as she came out of her hiding place. She was still looking at Handong with caution. She seemed so like Handong, but Dongie was such a soft and sweet girl, that this Handong seemed odd to her.

“What did you do to her,” Yoohyeon asked, looking at the woman on the ground.

Handong kneeled down and pulled a tiny, thin needle out of the intruder’s neck, holding it up for Yoohyeon to see.

“Paralytic poison,” she said, smiling almost sweetly, “This one is quite mild, but trust me this woman will have a horrible headache when she wakes up.”

“That was mild,” Yoohyeon asked, remembering the intruder thrashing about.

“Quite,” Handong replied, smiling. “Since we are alone, now, and the court isn’t staring, let me introduce myself. I’m Handong, Ambassador of the Ubeg Teka. Now, who are you, princess-not-JiU?”

“Yoohyeon,” she replied. “I happen to look a lot like JiU, so we thought we could give her the day free.”

“Awfully bad timing, hmm?” Handong smiled amusedly.

“How can you be so cavalier,” Yoohyeon asked, “All those people died in that court!”

“Calm down, Yoohyeon,” Handong said, concern in her voice as she saw that Yoohyeon was on the verge of tears. “They were using Sleepers, see?”

Handong knelt down and picked up the strange white knife. When Yoohyeon just stared, Handong chuckled.

“You’re not from around here, I see,” she said. “A Sleeper is made with ghoststeel. It doesn’t pierce flesh, or anything really, but instead attacks the spirit. A hit to an extremity will cause temporary, localized anesthesia, while a hit to the core will actually render someone unconscious. It lasts for a few hours to a few days, depending on the severity of the hit, but all those people are likely still alive.”

“They weren’t assassins,” Yoohyeon said to herself, “They were kidnappers.”

“Quite so,” Handong agreed. “You’re quite lucky that the Captain was there, and that you thought to lose your pursuer in these halls.”

“How did she keep finding me, though? She always knew where I was.”

“Probably your perfume,” Handong mused. “It’s subtle, and most people cannot track by scent, but she’s likely a trained Rache.”

“A what?”

“Someone trained to follow scent. Usually deprived of their eyesight temporarily, they go through extensive scent training.”

“Oh,” Yoohyeon said rather lamely. She felt so out of her depth in this place. Now she had to worry about kidnappers following her perfume? What could she do about that?

“Hey,” Handong said, seeming to understand what she was thinking, “It’s okay. You’re okay. We should get you back to the Captain.”

Handong led her back through the halls unerringly coming right back to the court, where SuA was directing a group of guards of where to search from the Princess, and Hossbech seemed to be directing medical staff who were helping those affected by the Sleepers.

Handong held Yoohyeon back in the hallway and told her to wait while she went to talk to SuA quietly. As soon as Handong started talking though, SuA yelled and ran right to where Yoohyeon was.

“Are you okay,” she asked, grasping Yoohyeon’s hand.

“Yeah.” Yoohyeon held onto SuA’s hand tightly, remembering her own friend at home.

“Look, I’ll take you back to JiU’s chambers now. There’s no way Hossbech can justify holding you after what you went through.”

As if on command, Hossbech called out.

“Who is that you have there,” he said. “Did you find the princess?”

Before either SuA or Yoohyeon could answer, he was walking over. Yoohyeon panicked. What would she do if he found out that JiU wasn’t there?

“Hossbech,” someone called from the door to the court. Everyone turned to look and there was JiU. Resplendent in a simple, but refined gown. Despite that, her hair was slightly disheveled and she was lacking in the ordinary jewelry she wore.

“Your Highness,” Hossbech said, obviously relieved, “You’re okay. What happened?”

Yoohyeon’s heart jumped into her throat.

“After I escaped my attacker,” JiU replied coolly, “I returned to my chambers to don appropriate attire for my return to Court.” As if as an afterthought, she added, “Sorry about my hair, there were no maids to help me.”

She had spun the tail so simply but beautifully, it was impossible to contradict her. Hossbech nodded and headed over to speak with her. SuA looked at Yoohyeon.

“Saved at the last minute, hmm?”

Yoohyeon nodded, “JiU’s timing is impeccable.”

“Are you staying in the palace? Let’s get you to your chambers.”

Yoohyeon nodded and followed SuA back into the twisting passages of the palace, but this time to reach her own chambers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you're enjoying the story! :) A little behind the scenes, a rache is an old word for a kind of medieval scent hound. I decided to use it in this world for a kind of human scent tracker.


	5. Enchanter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wherein Yoohyeon reflects and goes to a dance.

Yoohyeon had spent an entire hour in the bath in her chambers, trying to wash away her fear. It had been a traumatic few days and she felt entirely spent. She had returned to the chambers in the palace that JiU had provided her after the kidnapping attempt and she had cried herself to sleep. In the morning, she had found the bath drawn for her and a table laden with food.

The subtle magic of this place, whether they called it magic or not, made the bath stay hot the whole time she was in it and the food was always at the right temperature and never seemed to go bad.

After the rest, bath, and food, Yoohyeon was feeling much like her old self again. She was still homesick, and after running into so many doubles of her friends, she missed them, too. The whole situation was really too much, and Yoohyeon found her thoughts straying to her parents, her brother, and her dog, Pie. She tried to set the thoughts aside, because there wasn’t much she could do about that for now.

She found a lovely dress in the closet that fit her perfectly—not magic this time, but the fact that JiU had sent a seamstress to get measurements—and put that on. Just as she was trying to figure out how to tie her belt without any belt holes, a knock came at her door.

“Come in,” she said.

JiU opened the door and came inside. Yoohyeon could see SuA outside in the hall standing watch. JiU closed the door.

“Ah, I’m so glad to see that you’re up,” JiU said smiling.

“Yes and thank you for the clothes and bath,” Yoohyeon answered.

JiU saw the belt in Yoohyeon’s hands and walked over and started tying it for her. Yoohyeon’s breath caught a little being so close to JiU. She should be used to the close contact for now, but as JiU’s fingers brushed hers and she gently took the belt in hand and tied it, Yoohyeon’s heart rate increased.

“I’m so sorry,” JiU said, still looking down. “It was all my fault. I didn’t anticipate the kidnapping attempt, or that Hossbech would get back, or even that Handong would be there. I hope you’ll forgive my error.”

JiU sounded so serious that for a moment, Yoohyeon could only nod. It must have really been gnawing at JiU that she couldn’t apologize until Yoohyeon was awake. Yoohyeon could see moisture in JiU’s eyes.

“It’s okay,” Yoohyeon said. “Well, not okay, but I forgive you. A lot of things went wrong, but a lot went right, too. You got back at the perfect time to stop Hossbech from discovering our ruse, and that you were wrong about Handong was a blessing.”

“Why was that a blessing,” JiU asked, finally looking up. Yoohyeon saw JiU’s pained eyes and realized that JiU must not have heard everything that happened.

“Oh,” Yoohyeon said, “she saved me. There was a, um, Rache after me, I think? Handong showed up and knocked out the Rache. Then she brought me back to the court.”

“Interesting,” JiU said. “She told me she was here only to observe and wouldn’t interfere in court politics. You must have made an impression.”

“She’s my friend,” Yoohyeon said suddenly. JiU’s eyebrows went up as her mouth formed an ‘O’ in surprise. The pain in her eyes subsided a little.

“I mean,” Yoohyeon corrected, “I have a Handong in my world, too, and she’s a friend of mine. Maybe that means that we have a sort of connection?”

“Ah,” JiU said smiling, “That would make some sort of sense, though if she recognized that you weren’t me, she might have sympathized, too. I can’t say I was expecting her to be someone you knew. I haven’t known her very long, but she is usually very quiet. SuA was surprised that she talked to you at all.”

“SuA, too,” Yoohyeon said as her mind caught up on yesterday, “She’s also a friend from my world. There she goes by both SuA and Bora.”

“Ah,” JiU gave a sly smile, “I’d keep that to yourself. Bora is not a Heartwood name and when SuA joined the Knights of the Arbor, she changed her name to fit in better. She’d be terribly embarrassed to be outed to her troops.”

Even though JiU was speaking in a very matter-of-fact tone, Yoohyeon could see the mischief in her eyes replace any last traces of pain. She tried to make a mental note not to fall into any of JiU’s mischievous traps and to avoid calling SuA by her other name.

“I think there’s a connection,” Yoohyeon said, thinking out loud. “As I said, my friends in my world are all part of a group of entertainers. So far, everyone who I have met who is a double of the person from my world has been part of the group. I just don’t know why.”

“Are there any other members? Maybe that would help us? Or at least prepare us!”

“Yeah,” Yoohyeon agreed. “Well, there’s me and you, er—” She stopped. Looking at JiU for her response to the small slip. It wasn’t this JiU who was her friend and member. But if JiU thought this was a problem, she didn’t say anything. Instead, she just smiled. It was comforting to see her smile and Yoohyeon’s heart beat a little faster.

“What I mean,” Yoohyeon continued, “there is you, Dami, Handong, and SuA that I’ve already met who are doubles from my world. The other members of my group are named Siyeon and Gahyeon.”

JiU smiled and again Yoohyeon thought she looked like she was planning a prank or enjoying a private joke.

“Well,” JiU said, her grin never disappearing, “You’ll meet Siyeon tonight. She’s the Royal Enchanter. But Gahyeon is a surprise. So is Handong.”

“Why is that,” Yoohyeon asked.

“Well, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. I just didn’t expect for the Ubeg Teka spy and the Hierarch of the Goddess to be your old pals.”

“A Hierarch? What’s that?”

“Ah, well, Gahyeon is the highest ranking official in the Goddess’s service. She’s a prophet and the direct descendant of the Goddess. The youngest person to hold that office, too.”

“Oh wow,” Yoohyeon said. That Handong was a spy or assassin was already surprising enough, but that Gahyeon was some sort of pope? That was a lot to take in.

“So, why will I meet Siyeon tonight,” Yoohyeon said, catching up to what JiU had said.

“Ah, well,” JiU said, looking almost bashful, but still playful. “There’s to be a ball tonight with a banquet and dancing, to celebrate the amazing survival of one Princess JiU.”

“A ball,” Yoohyeon said, and laughed. “Oh, wow! But what will I wear to such an event?”

Yoohyeon was joking, but JiU looked deadly serious when she answered. “I will have a gown prepared for you. The seamstress will come for fitting this afternoon.”

“Thank you,” Yoohyeon said shyly, and she meant it. Not only after the gown and seamstress, but she felt like JiU had been more accommodating and caring than she could have hoped for. Especially since Yoohyeon was essentially just a stranger to her. It was hard to admit, but Yoohyeon felt a little flustered by this. Back home, she would brush off JiU’s—Minji’s—attentions with a joke and they would begin their repartee again. But here, she felt too overwhelmed to do much more than continually give thanks to JiU.

True to her word, JiU selected a magnificent gown all in various white tones, with an Empire-style waist, and blue ribbons across the midriff. It was lacy and elegant, while having a sexy side, too. Yoohyeon couldn’t argue with the style, and the seamstress fit it quickly and expertly. Yoohyeon requested some makeup and JiU had sent her an entire cart of mixtures, powders, and perfumes. Yoohyeon knew what less than half the things were supposed to be, but she kept it simple and vowed to ask JiU about the other cosmetics later.

By evening, Yoohyeon was dressed for the ball, but that didn’t mean she was ready. She was already being escorted by one of SuA’s knights when she realized she had no idea about the etiquette of this ball—she didn’t even know how they danced here! She started to worry as she walked down the hall, getting used to the bejeweled slippers that JiU had given her to wear, and hadn’t decided what she should do before being thrust into the palace’s ballroom.

It was like nothing she had seen before. Vaulted ceilings were decorated with gorgeous frescos of forests and fairies and nymphs. The walls were covered in rich wooden panels trimmed in gold. Arched windows, glassless, punctuated the one wall, looking out onto a beautiful, terraced garden. The entire hall was lit by massive chandeliers that gave off a soft glow like candlelight, but it seemed to reach every corner of the room, making the whole ballroom feel like it was out of a dream.

Yoohyeon must have stood in the doorway for at least a minute staring. It was only when someone tapped her shoulder—she jumped a little—that she realized they had been saying her name. She turned and saw SuA, though she didn’t recognize her at first. Her hair was tied in a braid and her makeup was done with bold, dark colours. She wasn’t in her armour, either, or not quite. She was wearing a black gown, trimmed in gold, with a ceremonial breastplate as a kind of armour-like addition. She also had bits of chainmail worked into the dress. The whole thing had to be terribly heavy.

“Oh, Bora, er—” Yoohyeon coughed to cover her mistake. SuA frowned but didn’t say anything. “SuA, what a pleasant surprise!”

“Are you okay,” SuA asked, “I’ve been trying to get your attention for a full minute.”

“Sorry,” Yoohyeon said, “This place is just so impressive. I was admiring it.”

“Well,” SuA said, looking as though she didn’t know how to deal with that, “That’s fine. Let’s go over to the banquet tables and you can admire from there.”

Yoohyeon followed SuA over towards the banquet tables. Even being a different SuA, it was still definitely her. She was tense with courtiers—identifiable by their fancier, non-armoured, clothing—but when she ran into any of her knights, she joked with them loudly. In fact, she yelled several times to friends in such a Bora-like way, that Yoohyeon wanted to be friends with her, just to get that treatment again.

When they came to the banquet tables, Yoohyeon was again shocked. She recognized maybe half the food that was served, but it was an amazing amount, probably enough to feed an entire town back home. The tables were solidly built to take the weight, but even here they were decorated with elaborate scrollwork with a distinct arboreal theme.

“You,” a familiar voice said from behind her. “What are you wearing?”

Yoohyeon turned and was surprised to see Siyeon, but it was like she had stepped out of a game rather than the Siyeon she knew. Her hair was long and black, with prominent bangs, but that was where her similarity with Yoohyeon’s Siyeon ended. Her eyes were pale blue and her eye makeup was bold red. She was wearing a long, silky dress in blue that was slit up to her thigh. She was wearing a black leather corset over the dress, but it was decorated with silver fittings in a design that made it look like a rib cage. The dress had a plunging neckline, but the sleeves were separate, only attached by thin silver chains. She also had piercings—a lot of piercings. She was carrying a sort of black, wood cane tipped with a silver crescent moon. 

While Yoohyeon was still trying to recover from the shock, she realized that Siyeon wasn’t even talking to her, but was talking to SuA instead.

“Ceremonial armour,” SuA said, looking a little indignant. “At least I’m dressed up and not just wearing my work clothing!”

_Work clothing_ , Yoohyeon thought. It was strange to think that what Siyeon was wearing was somehow everyday attire.

“My work clothing looks good,” Siyeon shot back. “More than I can say for your—”

Siyeon didn’t get a chance to finish as a stern-looking JiU approached, bedecked in a stunning white gown trimmed in gold and a shimmery, sheer veil draped over her hair. Dami was at her elbow, wearing clothes worthy of a prince. JiU’s withering glare, if that was what she was aiming for, lost some of its potency when Yoohyeon rushed and hugged Dami.

“Dami,” she cried. “I hadn’t hoped to see you again so soon!”

Dami, looking rather awkward, nodded and said some greeting that Yoohyeon couldn’t quite hear. Siyeon and SuA stared at the odd interaction.

“Who is this,” Siyeon asked SuA before turning her question to JiU, “Who is that?”

“This is Yoohyeon,” JiU said sweetly, and Yoohyeon could see that Siyeon recognized her name. “She has joined us from a distant court and will be staying indefinitely.”

“The fish out of water,” Siyeon said at the same time as she gave Yoohyeon a little bow.

“Not so loud,” hissed SuA. Siyeon rolled her eyes.

“We’re among friends, here, aren’t we,” Siyeon asked rhetorically.

“Are you,” asked Handong as she walked up to the conversation from behind Siyeon, who stood very still and gave a concerned look to JiU.

“Of course we are,” JiU responded coolly, and Yoohyeon was impressed by how unflappable she made herself seem. “Our dear ambassador already has the pleasure of Yoohyeon’s acquaintance. In fact, I understand thanks are in order.”

“No need,” Handong said, but Yoohyeon could see her hide a smile.

JiU started a courtesy war with Handong, each trying to outdo the good manners of the other, while SuA and Siyeon picked up their bickering once again.

“Maybe we should go dance,” Dami suggested to Yoohyeon, giving an apologetic smile.

Dami led Yoohyeon by the hand out to the dance floor. Dami’s outfit looked right out of a Shakespeare play, with hose and a puffy tunic, along with an improbably short cape and slouching cap. Yoohyeon thought it would likely look silly on any of her other friends, but on Dami it looked perfectly fetching.

As they got onto the dance floor, Yoohyeon’s anxiety about dancing rose, but it seemed like everyone was dancing a simple group dance. Dami quietly asked Yoohyeon to follow her lead and they began walking around in a circle to the beat.

“Are they always like that,” Yoohyeon asked, once she was familiar enough with the steps.

“Aren’t lovers always like that,” Dami said. It sounded like she was trying to be sarcastic, but Yoohyeon caught the bitterness.

“Lovers,” Yoohyeon asked. “Who?”

“SuA and Siyeon have been together for a year now, but most wouldn’t believe it with how often they are at each other's throats. I don’t know when this thing started between JiU and Handong.” 

“Wait,” Yoohyeon said, almost tripping when she missed a dance step. “JiU and Handong are together? Is that allowed?”

Yoohyeon couldn’t help but feel a little fear rise in her, and maybe some jealousy, too. JiU had been so kind to her, and— She pushed the thoughts away.

“I’m not sure I would say anything is disallowed to the Princess of Heartwood,” Dami said and again there was a little bitterness, or maybe sadness, there. “But, yes, it would be frowned upon. Especially by Hossbech. JiU assures me, however, that it isn’t serious.”

“She was a little upset when I told her Handong rescued me,” Yoohyeon said, musing out loud. “Maybe she was jealous?”

“I’m not sure JiU gets jealous,” Dami said. “But enough about them. How are you faring? I hear things have been difficult for you?”

“Well,” Yoohyeon said, “If you consider a kidnapping attempt followed by a frantic, panicked run through the palace while believing your kidnapper is attempting to kill you, is difficult… I suppose.”

“Ah,” Dami said, smiling a real, genuine smile at Yoohyeon. “Such difficulties cannot stop a princess of a distant court, no doubt.”

Yoohyeon giggled and held Dami’s hand tighter. Then, she caught the looks their way and heard the edges of whispers.

“Sorry,” Yoohyeon said, “I don’t want to cause you problems by seeming too familiar.”

“It’s fine,” Dami said, “I pay rumours no mind and neither should you. Give them something to gossip about if you’d like.”

“Well then,” Yoohyeon said with a smirk before she stepped closer to Dami. Now that they were this close, Yoohyeon could see the nearby dancers ogling them.

“Ah, you waste no time, I see,” Dami said. She blushed fiercely despite her calm tone.

Yoohyeon was surprised to learn that they had been dancing for hours when JiU came to speak with them. Handong was nowhere to be seen, and SuA and Siyeon seemed to have gone as well.

“Are you still dancing,” she asked. “Aren’t you hungry?”

“I’m starving,” Yoohyeon admitted and Dami nodded along.

“Well,” JiU said, linking her arm through Yoohyeon’s. “Shall we then?”

JiU offered her other arm to Dami, and together the three of them went to get something to eat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're coming to the end of the first part of the story, but we'll have a few little diversions on the way. I hope you look forward to it!


	6. Side Story: Safe Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which SuA tries to win an argument.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, this chapter is rated Explicit, but it's also not plot critical. If explicit content is not what you're here for, skip to the end notes for a summary of the chapter. Thanks!

By the time SuA left the party with Siyeon, her head was swimming. For hours she had sat with Siyeon tucked away in a corner, Siyeon lounging on a divan as though she were waiting for the portrait painter to finish his art, while SuA sat on a nearby stool.

Between the two of them, they had finished off a bottle of wine, and then requested brandy be brought up from the kitchens, the liquid lubricating their long conversations, whether those were about policy, warfare, love, poetry, or really anything.

Now she was feeling a little unsure on her feet, but she was determined to win the latest argument with Siyeon—something meaningless about the wines from Vennes—not because she cared about the subject matter, but because she wanted to win. Siyeon was aggravating at the best of times, but when she was drunk, she became an absolute know-it-all.

SuA was determining her strategy all the way to her bedchambers, only to realize that Siyeon had led her in the opposite direction. As Siyeon opened the doors to her own chambers and strode inside, SuA was caught in indecision.

On the one hand, she really wanted to win an argument with Siyeon, but she knew that by entering that room, she was likely forfeiting.

“What are you waiting for,” Siyeon said, launching herself onto a massive four poster bed. It was the most incongruous thing about Siyeon. Her clothing was always dark and severe. Her room was littered with enchanting tools and other strange curios. But her bed was big and soft. SuA liked to think that Siyeon’s heart was much the same.

“Stay or go,” Siyeon said, “But choose.”

SuA stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. Even if she resisted, she already knew she’d made her choice. She had lost the argument as soon as she let Siyeon lead her here.

“Good girl,” Siyeon purred and SuA felt her blood pumping faster. She couldn’t tell yet whether she was aggravated with Siyeon or if she was aroused.

“I want to say,” SuA said as she walked across the room to where Siyeon was spread out on the bed, “I was going to win this one.”

“Sure, you were, Precious,” Siyeon said. “Wouldn’t you rather win something else, though?”

It was a stupid thing to say. It didn’t even really make sense and if it did, it was like something out of a bad play. But yet, SuA felt her head clear and a purpose become apparent. She jumped on the bed and straddled Siyeon. Leaning down, she kissed Siyeon’s lips fiercely.

“Same safe words as always,” Siyeon asked, all her mocking tone gone, her breath short after the stormy kiss.

SuA nodded and started undoing the ties and clasps that held her breastplate in place, trying to get rid of the heavy garment. Siyeon, however, didn’t make it easy.

Siyeon ran one hand up SuA’s leg to squeeze at her hip, while with the other, she kept pulling SuA down into kisses.

Just as SuA was starting to get frustrated by the hindrance to getting her dress free, Siyeon helped with the last clasp. The ceremonial breastplate fell to the ground with a rattle and before SuA could start on the next part of the dress, Siyeon had already unlaced it and was pulling the whole thing off.

Under her dress, SuA was wearing a lace-trimmed, sheer bodysuit. Siyeon’s eyebrows went up her forehead.

“Is this for me,” Siyeon asked mockingly, though her face showed no malice.

“Maybe,” SuA admitted while she hid her flushed cheeks by kissing Siyeon again. It was now more apparent how much less clothing SuA was wearing than Siyeon.

SuA ran her hand up the slit in Siyeon’s dress, resting her hand on Siyeon’s thigh. SuA could feel Siyeon’s breath hitch as her hand reached more sensitive flesh. With her other hand, SuA undid the laces on Siyeon’s corset.

Siyeon laid back on the bed looking up at SuA with bedroom eyes. Her breath was coming quicker and more ragged now.

As soon as SuA had finished unlacing the corset, Siyeon pulled it away and tossed it on the floor. Both of Siyeon’s hands slid under SuA’s ass and pulled her closer. SuA sought out Siyeon’s lips and their kissing became more intense.

For a while, Siyeon’s hot kisses were everything that SuA wanted, her longing like a low furnace on a winter night. SuA put her hands in Siyeon’s hair and held her while she explored Siyeon’s mouth. SuA’s tongue parted Siyeon’s lips and she flicked it lightly against Siyeon’s teeth. Siyeon ran her own tongue lightly against the tip of SuA’s.

This is what stoked SuA’s lust. The embers became an inferno and SuA bit Siyeon’s lower lip. Siyeon let out a low moan that only caused SuA’s desire to burn even brighter.

SuA pulled Siyeon’s dress down at the shoulders, stripping her to the waist. As she expected, Siyeon only wore a harness under her dress, hardly even underwear really, and SuA used this as an advantage to slide down and begin kissing Siyeon’s nearly bare chest.

Siyeon began moaning more and she held onto SuA’s braid. With her other hand, Siyeon tried to undo the clasps on SuA’s lingerie, but her hand fumbled uselessly as her breath grew more and more ragged under SuA’s rough kisses.

SuA brough Siyeon’s nipple into her mouth and sucked passionately even as she ran her hand up Siyeon’s thigh and between her legs.

Now it was SuA’s breath that caught in her throat. Siyeon’s thighs were wet with anticipation and Siyeon quivered when SuA ran her fingers through the small amount of pubic hair there.

With a mix of lust and fascination, SuA slid a finger into the soft folds of flesh between Siyeon’s legs. Siyeon gasped and SuA looked up from where she still sucking on Siyeon’s nipples.

Siyeon looked down at SuA with blazing lust and that excited SuA even more. SuA’s fingers worked slowly at first, making sure that Siyeon was ready for the intense pleasure SuA’s touch would bring. After a few moments, SuA could feel how excited Siyeon was and she started playing with Siyeon’s clitoris. As Siyeon’s breath, moans, and cries became faster, so too did SuA’s coarse caresses.

Siyeon let out a sharp cry that broke into a low moan and SuA could feel all of Siyeon’s leg muscles clench as she orgasmed. SuA gently pulled her fingers away and moved her kisses to Siyeon’s collarbone, where she wouldn’t be as sensitive. Siyeon shook a few times, her body experiencing multiple orgasms over a few seconds.

SuA felt her own lust move back to being an ember. It was still there, and powerful, but she felt immense satisfaction in how she was able to bring Siyeon pleasure. While winning an argument against Siyeon was good, this was the ultimate feeling of power. The ability to make Siyeon feel this good was its own reward.

“You are on fire today,” Siyeon said after a moment. “Thank you.”

SuA didn’t say anything but continued to softly kiss Siyeon’s collarbone.

They laid just like this for a while, enjoying the softness of each other, the closeness of their skin. Siyeon pulled off the rest of her clothes after a bit and tossed them on the floor. As their lust cooled, so did their skin, and SuA pulled a blanket over them.

“Did you still want some,” Siyeon asked, looking at SuA as they cuddled in the giant bed.

SuA thought for a moment. Her lust had cooled, but it still burned within her. Still, she was tired and happy, and just wanted to keep cuddling.

She shook her head and settled herself against Siyeon.  
“You didn’t even need the safe word,” Siyeon teased.

SuA didn’t rise to Siyeon’s teasing, but smiled to herself. She basked in the warming memory of Siyeon’s pleasure as she drifted off to sleep.  


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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUMMARY: SuA and Siyeon leave the party together. SuA is trying to win an argument with Siyeon, but not for anything important, just to win. They end up in Siyeon's bed together and SuA thinks about how Siyeon is really quite a softie at heart. They sleep together and SuA concludes that pleasing Siyeon is better than winning an argument. They cuddle together and sleep.


End file.
